Finally someone is going to test the Star Trek cannon (that is ‘cannon’ with two n’s). Mythbusters, the Discover Channel show that puts urban legends (and TV & movie magic) to the test, is finally going to take on Star Trek. Specifically they are going to test the feasibility of the cannon that Captain James T. Kirk built to defeat the Gorn in the original series Star Trek episode "Arena"

Gorn Cannon!In "Arena" Captain Kirk and a Gorn Captain are pulled off their ships by superbeings (the Metrons) and put onto a planet to fight it out old school. Eventually Kirk finds the ingredients for gunpowder (potassium nitrate, sulfur and coal) and uses them to create a makeshift cannon from some kind of bamboo-like plant with diamonds as his projectile. Here is the final scene:

The plausibility of this scene is certainly up for debate and had been submitted to Mythbusters for a test by a fan. Yesterday Grant Imahara, one of the Mythbusters, reported (on his Twitter page), that he was going to discuss the gorn cannon idea at a story meeting and he was watching “Arena” to get ready. He later posted an image from the meeting (see below). Then, after the meeting he reported the good news:

YesssssKirk!!! It’s official. #Gorncannon is a go for next season’s Viewer’s Special. Thanks to all fans 4 your help! :)

Today Imahara tweeted that he ordered a Starfleet uniform (appropriately in science blue), and that the show’s crash test dummy “Buster” will be getting a red shirt.

The Mythbusters are actually experts in make-shift cannons, having created them from a variety of materials over the years. Here are just a couple of examples: the first a cannon made out of a log, and the second is one using non-dairy creamer:

Didn’t he put huge diamonds in the cannon? I am curious how they want to copy that. ;-)

Hopefully we will see the Gorns in the next Star Trek movie. Usually we didn’t see aliens, which are really different looking than humans, in Star Trek movies. Most have just different face features. Gorns in the next movie would be cool. Especially if they look more like the ones in ENT and not like the one in TOS.

Hey. This will be great. Anthony. You havt to give us the Update for the Show. I like that the Buster the Gorn will be wearing a red shirt and Grant will be in a Blue shirt. Now thats Cannon. or Canon. Lol. Ha Ha!!!.

Maybe they should test the rock Cpt Kirk pushes off the cliff to crush the Gorn….if they can find a foam rubber rock. I have to admit, ever since I was a kid and saw that on TV in the 60’s. I had that in the back of my mind to try this in some survival test but never had the need as I never had any Gorns around when you need them.

From my own experiences/experiments, back as a kid with a chemistry set, there is one major setback for why this wouldn’t work as depicted in “Arena.”

The ingredients that Kirk found to make the black powder (sulfur, potassium nitrate & coal) were all dry. In order to create a fast-burning mixture, the ingredients need to be fully moistened, then dried, followed by grinding the product into fine powder. Without the water acting as bonding agent, all you have is some non-explosive, coarse dust.

I don’t know about US television / movies but here in germany stations have a gents agreement not to show CORRECTLY how you make weapons or harm yourself – for example if someone on screen cuts his/her wrist its ALWAYS shown the wrong way.

If thats true for 60s TS TV also this cannon should not work as shown in Arena – but maybe will work with some slight modifications.

I could argue about bamboo or diamonds, and other things. Just remember what was said by the Metrons, they are the creators/providers of all that is to be on the asteroid that Kirk and the Gorn battle on, so the Metrons who are Demi Gods can make matter and let the elements have any property values they desire.

The whole point of the story humanity can think and create, they may be more mobile and quicker than repiles. But it is the thinking brain that gives us the advantage in many things. But it is our emotional choices that let us become benign and not kill that grants us to one day become GOD like. As where we still have a reptilian brain in our heads, it is though our Frontal Lobes that can control the Reptile still in us.

But their is one part of the Reptilian brain that still can over power the Human Brain, and that part is labeled our Sex Drive. Until we can over rule that Humanity may never become extinct. Weapons and stupidity may override that survival factor before our minds learn to control things.

Or until Lesbians learn that we can now convert human stem cells into valid sperm cells, which can now possible make the male an benign factor in human life.

#49 Spockish “…the Metrons who are Demi Gods can make matter and let the elements have any property values they desire.”

The only problem with that as an explanation is that it fails to account for SPOCK’S commentary as Kirk is assembling the bits and pieces of his mortar/canon. It’s obvious that Spock believes there to be at least be a reasonable expectation of success.

This is reallt untestable since no earthly bamboo is that large and tough. But it will be fun to watch!

But what’s really hard to believe is that Kirk knew the elements to make it happen, but also could identify the minerals by sight, AND on an alien planet where there was no telling what the powders were. Oh, well, I guess he’d tasted them before.

#41: “I don’t know about US television / movies but here in germany stations have a gents agreement not to show CORRECTLY how you make weapons or harm yourself – for example if someone on screen cuts his/her wrist its ALWAYS shown the wrong way.”

Interesting. No, no such practice or agreement exists in the U.S. – although companies probably would not broadcast detailed instructions about how to *make* many kinds of weapons.

Good luck to the Mythbusters guys getting hold of any diamonds big enough to use as Kirk did. LOL

Making gunpowder from natural components should be Starfleet Survival Training 101. And the Metrons saw to it that the necessary materials were “just lying around”. (Like scientists placing a stick, a ladder etc. in the cage, if they want to test if the ape is intelligent enough to get the banana.)

But the real mystery is: Why are 23rd century uniforms made of inflammable fabric?? Seems like a safety hazard to me.

Anyway, it’s great to see that Star Trek (even TOS) is again popular enough to cross over into non-SF shows!

Mythbusters meet Star Trek, it had to happen sooner or later….
Remember the steering wheel air bag episode ?
There were a few other Myths where the gang showed their Trek-ness too.
Granted this will be the first time they take on a Trek centric myth.
Buster in a red-shirt, well, duh, he’ll die before the next ad break ;-) very spectacularly at that too. As to how the Mythbusters will dress….
Jamie – Spock ( The logical one of the group )
Adam – Kirk ( The leap before you look of the group )
Grant – Scotty ( The Engineer of the group )
Tori – Washburn ( The head of Security of the group )
Kari – Uhura ( She’s pretty smart folks, she has more then looks going )
Buster – Ensign Ricky ( Aaaawwww man, not again )

Remember that, unlike the original Fredric Brown story, the entirety of “Arena” was done in their minds. So long as Kirk had the major details right, the petty details of grinding the diamonds for carbon and using water/moisture to mix the materials, it worked in his mind, and worked as a cannon/mortar.

What I want to see is them handle the “shamboo” used as the cannon/mortar tube, which I recall as being ‘heavily infused’ with iron and being stronger than bamboo, if not more brittle.

The cannon would work in principle- I’ve made my own gunpowder and those are the ingredients (for loose powder, you would need water and spirits to make a cake version). However, for it to be used as a cannon he’d need to use some packing to shoot the projectiles, otherwise it would be a very weak shot- certainly not enough to kill a Gorn :)

Also, the amount of power he made in the show would have blown Kirk and the Gorn up. A cup or two would have done the job heheh.

Curions Kirk proclaiming he won’t kill the Gorn with the obsidian knife, but that is what he was trying to do with his cannon. Kill the Gorn. If the cannon would have killed the Gorn outright, what line would Kirk say then?

Not disputing your own experience with making gunpowder, but from my own experiments way back when, without first using water to mix the dry ingredients, (then allowing for natural drying/curing time) it would never achieve the fast burning quality necessary to generate an explosive force. I’m amazed if you had different results, but then again, I’m no chemist -or James T. Kirk, for that matter. ;-)

On a side note, not trying to give anyone dangerous ideas here, but I quickly learned that barbecue grade charcoal was useless, due to it containing additives to make it burn slow. A few pieces of plain ol’ scrap wood, burned and ground into a fine powder, made for a highly effective ingredient.

Crewman Darnell wrote: “From my own experiences/experiments, back as a kid with a chemistry set, there is one major setback for why this wouldn’t work as depicted in “Arena.”

The ingredients that Kirk found to make the black powder (sulfur, potassium nitrate & coal) were all dry. In order to create a fast-burning mixture, the ingredients need to be fully moistened, then dried, followed by grinding the product into fine powder. Without the water acting as bonding agent, all you have is some non-explosive, coarse dust.”

I would like to add that the ingredients would also have to be mixed in the correct ratio. Kirk didn’t have a balance to weigh them out.

Why does everyone assume it is bamboo? It could be some other form of tree or plant. Was there ever a time which Kirk states bamboo?
It may look like bamboo, but we will never really know the make of the supposed “cannon”.

If they make an assumption that it is bamboo, then I assume the gun will fail.

I’ve rewatched the clip they provided of Kirk setting off the cannon. To this day I get a laugh out of that episode. However: one thing that episode definitely got right about that cannon is that Kirk himself was knocked on his back by the explosion. However I am of the belief that the bamboo should have just exploded sending bamboo pieces as well as the diamonds everywhere. Both Kirk and the Gorn should have been torn up, IMO.

Yes, Kirk had the gun powder formula right and yes diamonds would make great ammunition, but I just don’t see the cannon actually working with a bamboo tube. I could be wrong, of course. Looking forward to this episode.

Hope they take into account that gorns were much stronger than humans. Maybe they could make some estimates from Captain Kirks unsuccessful attempts, i.e. the rock slide, on the gorn captain.

In response to Nericus (December 30, 2009) since it was another planet it’s possible what Captain Kirk picked was much stronger than bamboo. Yes, the Mythbusters should have a pig stand in for Captain Kirk with their tests.